Whitbread World Sailboat Race Each year countries enter their sailing vessels in the nine-month…

Whitbread World Sailboat Race

Each year countries enter their sailing vessels in the
nine-month Round the World Whitbread Sailboat Race. In recent years, about 14
countries entered sailboats in the race. Each year’s sailboat entries represent
the latest technologies and human skills each country can muster.

Bjorn Ericksen has been selected as a project manager
because of his past experience as a master helmsman and because of his recent
fame as the “best designer of racing sailboats in the world.” Bjorn is pleased
and proud to have the opportunity to design, build, test, and train the
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Whitbread World Sailboat Race

Each year countries enter their sailing vessels in the
nine-month Round the World Whitbread Sailboat Race. In recent years, about 14
countries entered sailboats in the race. Each year’s sailboat entries represent
the latest technologies and human skills each country can muster.

Bjorn Ericksen has been selected as a project manager
because of his past experience as a master helmsman and because of his recent
fame as the “best designer of racing sailboats in the world.” Bjorn is pleased
and proud to have the opportunity to design, build, test, and train the crew
for next year’s Whitbread entry for his country. Bjorn has picked Karin Knutsen
(as chief design engineer) and Trygve Wallvik (as master helmsman) to be team
leaders responsible for getting next year’s entry ready for the traditional
parade of all entries on the Thames River in the United Kingdom, which signals
the start of the race.

As Bjorn begins to think of a project plan, he sees two
parallel paths running through the project—design and construction and crew
training. Last year’s boat will be used for training until the new entry can
have the crew on board to learn maintenance tasks. Bjorn calls Karin and Trygve
together to develop a project plan. All three agree the major goal is to have a
winning boat and crew ready to compete in next year’s competition at a cost of
$3.2 million. A check of Bjorn’s calendar indicates he has 45 weeks before next
year’s vessel must leave port for the United Kingdom to start the race.

THE KICKOFF MEETING

Bjorn asks Karin to begin by describing the major activities
and the sequence required to design, construct, and test the boat. Karin starts
by noting that design of the hull, deck, mast, and accessories should only take
six weeks—given the design prints from past race entries and a few prints from
other countries’ entries. After the design is complete, the hull can be
constructed, the mast ordered, sails ordered, and accessories ordered. The hull
will require 12 weeks to complete. The mast can be ordered and will require a lead
time of eight weeks; the seven sails can be ordered and will take six weeks to
get; accessories can be ordered and will take 15 weeks to receive. As soon as
the hull is finished, the ballast tanks can be installed, requiring two weeks.
Then the deck can be built, which will require five weeks. Concurrently, the
hull can be treated with special sealant and friction-resistance coating,
taking three weeks. When the deck is completed and mast and accessories
received, the mast and sails can be installed, requiring two weeks; the
accessories can be installed, which will take six weeks. When all of these
activities have been completed, the ship can be sea-tested, which should take
five weeks. Karin believes she can have firm cost estimates for the boat in about
two weeks.

Trygve believes he can start selecting the 12-man or woman
crew and securing their housing immediately. He believes it will take six weeks
to get a committed crew on-site and three weeks to secure housing for the crew
members. Trygve reminds Bjorn that last year’s vessel must be ready to use for
training the moment the crew is on-site until the new vessel is ready for
testing. Keeping the old vessel operating will cost $4,000 per week as long as
it is used. Once the crew is on-site and housed, they can develop and implement
a routine sailing and maintenance training program, which will take 15 weeks
(using the old vessel). Also, once the crew is selected and on-site, crew
equipment can be selected, taking only two weeks. Then crew equipment can be
ordered; it will take five weeks to arrive. When the crew equipment and
maintenance training program are complete, crew maintenance on the new vessel
can begin; this should take 10 weeks. But crew maintenance on the new vessel
cannot begin until the deck is complete and the mast, sails, and accessories
have arrived. Once crew maintenance on the new vessel begins, the new vessel
will cost $6,000 per week until sea training is complete. After the new ship
maintenance is complete and while the boat is being tested, initial sailing
training can be implemented; training should take seven weeks. Finally, after
the boat is tested and initial training is complete, regular sea training can
be implemented—weather permitting; regular sea training requires eight weeks.
Trygve believes he can put the cost estimates together in a week, given last
year’s expenses.

Bjorn is pleased with the expertise displayed by his team
leaders. But he believes they need to have someone develop one of those
critical path networks to see if they can safely meet the start deadline for
the race. Karin and Trygve agree. Karin suggests the cost estimates should also
include crash costs for any activities that can be compressed and the resultant
costs for crashing. Karin also suggests the team complete the following
priority matrix for project decision making:

TWO WEEKS LATER

Karin and Trygve submit the following cost estimates for
each activity and corresponding crash costs to Bjorn (costs are in thousands of
dollars):

Bjorn reviews the materials and wonders if the project will
come in within the budget of $3.2 million and in 45 weeks. Advise the Whitbread
team of their situation.

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